The Dangerous Gun

[Bill Mattocks]

Just from a quick Google News search:

St. Petersburg homeowner shoots at intruder in one of two home invasions
Tampabay.com - Danny Valentine - ‎Jan 18, 2011‎

Man fatally shoots intruder in Sierra Vista
KGUN - Sheryl Kornman - ‎Jan 15, 2011‎

South Tulsa Homeowner Shoots Intruder
KOKI FOX 23 - Bernadette Flores - ‎Jan 14, 2011‎

No charges will be filed after homeowner shoots attacker
WBIR-TV - ‎Jan 14, 2011‎

Husband shoots teen intruder
News Virginian - Chase Purdy - ‎Jan 13, 2011‎
(FYI, the headline makes it sound bad, but...)

Six feet tall and armed with a stick, a 14-year-old boy on Thursday dove through a bedroom window, spurring a frightened homeowner to shoot ...

Baltimore County woman fatally shoots intruder, police say
Baltimore Sun - Nick Madigan - ‎Jan 7, 2011‎

Homeowner shoots and kills intruder during attempted home invasion
WOAI - Francisco A. Barragan - ‎Jan 6, 2011‎

That's just so far this year; there may actually be more, but these are the result of a very quick search.

So my question to those who want to further restrict gun ownership in the US...tell me what you would prefer to have happen to the homeowners listed above? How do you propose they deal with armed intruders once they've been disarmed by the law? I hope you don't think that the invaders will also be unarmed, do you?

Just curious...

 

[seasoned]

What further exacerbates this whole situation is the budget cutting taking place across the country pertaining to critical public services. ( ring ring, hello 911, yes I need help, this is a recording, leave your name and a short message and someone will return this call at the earliest ti.........................

 

[Cryozombie]

So my question to those who want to further restrict gun ownership in the US...tell me what you would prefer to have happen to the homeowners listed above? How do you propose they deal with armed intruders once they've been disarmed by the law? I hope you don't think that the invaders will also be unarmed, do you?

Just curious...

Bill, I have spoken to a LOT of people who feel you should call the police and let them "do their job". Several others who insist it is unlikely to actually happen to you. IMO It's a sad and dangerous mindset that people who are sorely misinformed think everyone needs to conform to their fear of guns.

 

[Carol]

Bill, I have spoken to a LOT of people who feel you should call the police and let them "do their job". Several others who insist it is unlikely to actually happen to you. IMO It's a sad and dangerous mindset that people who are sorely misinformed think everyone needs to conform to their fear of guns.

Personally I think it is more than a fear of guns, I also think it is a fear that most gun owners are some caricature that jes' can't wait for the chance to fire at a human being. :barf:

Does anyone think I WANT to discharge a firearm in my own home?

Does anyone think I WANT to be in a situation where the only option I have to protect my health is lethal force?

Does anyone think I WANT to live "in that condo where the shooting took place"?

I want the police to do their jobs. I want them to come to my aid if I am in trouble. I would much rather have someone from the PD wrangle with the bad guy than me. But realistically speaking? I live in a garden-style condo that is 800 square feet. I don't have many places to hide. A police officer could be on patrol right here in my complex and still not be able to get to me before an armed intruder could.

 

[MJS]

Just from a quick Google News search:

St. Petersburg homeowner shoots at intruder in one of two home invasions
Tampabay.com - Danny Valentine - ‎Jan 18, 2011‎

Man fatally shoots intruder in Sierra Vista
KGUN - Sheryl Kornman - ‎Jan 15, 2011‎

South Tulsa Homeowner Shoots Intruder
KOKI FOX 23 - Bernadette Flores - ‎Jan 14, 2011‎

No charges will be filed after homeowner shoots attacker
WBIR-TV - ‎Jan 14, 2011‎

Husband shoots teen intruder
News Virginian - Chase Purdy - ‎Jan 13, 2011‎
(FYI, the headline makes it sound bad, but...)


Baltimore County woman fatally shoots intruder, police say
Baltimore Sun - Nick Madigan - ‎Jan 7, 2011‎

Homeowner shoots and kills intruder during attempted home invasion
WOAI - Francisco A. Barragan - ‎Jan 6, 2011‎

That's just so far this year; there may actually be more, but these are the result of a very quick search.

So my question to those who want to further restrict gun ownership in the US...tell me what you would prefer to have happen to the homeowners listed above? How do you propose they deal with armed intruders once they've been disarmed by the law? I hope you don't think that the invaders will also be unarmed, do you?

Just curious...

Whats interesting, is the ones that're so anti-gun, will never give a reason or explaination as to what the homeowner is supposed to do. Oh wait, maybe they'll suggest just bending over, putting their head between their legs, and kissing their *** goodbye, while the badguy kills them and robs them.

Its amazing, because they want to take the guns away from the responsible people, yet interestingly enough, somehow the badguys will still find ways to gain access to them.

 

[MJS]

Bill, I have spoken to a LOT of people who feel you should call the police and let them "do their job". Several others who insist it is unlikely to actually happen to you. IMO It's a sad and dangerous mindset that people who are sorely misinformed think everyone needs to conform to their fear of guns.

Agreed!!! Yes, while the police are there to help, what some people fail to see is that it takes them time to get there. They can't warp there in 2sec. LOL. That being said, from the time the 911 call is made, to the time they arrive, everyone in that house could be dead. Do the people who suggest letting them do their job, take into consideration the number of unsolved crimes in the world today? I doubt it.

As for those that insist it wont happen..I find that crazy as well. Never knew there were so many people capable of seeing the future. LOL. Home invasions are nothing new, and they happen all the time. Some of the larger cities not far from me, have daily shootings, muggings, carjackings, armed robberies, etc.

I dont know...sounds like some people are lacking an understanding of guns.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

Interesting set of statistics I found recently (quoted in the book Freakonomics, don't recall of the top where his sources are:

Likelihood of a child being killed in a gun-related accident: 1 per 1,000,000 guns in America
Likelihood of a child drowning in a swimming pool: 1 per 100 pools in America

I'm on the fence about how good guns are for our society as a whole, but numbers like that make it clear that we need to make a decision based on rational understanding of the data - not from some knee-jerk fear after reading the papers.

 

[Cryozombie]

Does anyone think I WANT to discharge a firearm in my own home?

Does anyone think I WANT to be in a situation where the only option I have to protect my health is lethal force?

Carol, I couldn't agree more. I hope that I NEVER have to discharge a firearm anywhere but at the range when I am doing it for Fun. However I accept the fact that in today's world, the only person you have to rely on for your own safety is yourself, and you need to take measures to protect yourself, including LOCKING YOUR DOORS, BEING AWARE, and yes, having the right tools to protect yourself when everything else you have done fails. I don't think a gun should be your first line of defense, but I think it should be available if it becomes necessary.